Season 2, Episode 16
The Checkbook
Plot Summary-When Ray says he could do the checkbook better than Debra, she gives him the chance.
Nitpick of the episode-OK so it’s been six weeks and Ray is already getting turned off by the power company. Um, what electric company just shuts customers off with no notice? And only after a month? And if they did notify Ray, how did Debra not become aware? Were there no phone calls? Did she avoid all the mail since Ray was doing the bills? And how in the world did Ray pay the bill first thing in the morning? They were open? And Debra didn’t notice the clocks were off or the fridge was defrosting? And did he really think making a fake checkbook was the answer? Even Debra asks why if he had time to make a fake checkbook didn’t he just do it right??? Arrrgh…. I think THIS CLIP sums it up!
Best Line-“Ray, when you’re on the Titanic, you load the lifeboats, you don’t stop to yell at the iceberg.”….Debra
Episode Fun Fact –The other officer in the bank scene is Ray Romano’s real brother
Deleted Scenes- none for the episode
Syndication Edit-top of the teaser, ray complaining about money, also Andy at Nemo’s before ray enters
Best Character-Robert, nice of him to lend ray the money but……..
Worst Character- Robert, not only is his asking Mari to give Ray check the contrived it’s just stupid since Robert isn’t that big of an idiot. He should know ray didn’t need Marie knowing what was going on.
Final Thoughts-This is one of those episodes that makes Ray a little too stupid. I can maybe buy that he had no idea how to balance a checkbook, but if he didn’t why didn’t he seek out help earlier? Some things you don’t fool around with which his friend Andy points out at one point. The scene at the bank is interesting since we don’t hear any dialogue we just see Ray panic to make the deposit before Debra could cash the check. Which is stupid because even then there’s no guarantee the money will be all available. But it’s a different kind of scene for this show and it’s always cool when shows try something different. This episode makes me appreciate computers today, I hated balancing the check book.
Grade-B-
Season 2, Episode 17
The Ride-Along
Plot Summary-Ray goes on a ride along with Robert
Nitpick of the episode-Apparently the robber never heard of checking a place before entering, or he would have seen the obvious police officer sitting right there!
Best Line-“Maybe later we can climb a tree and save a meow-meow. ”Ray
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-none for this episode
Syndication Edit-top of the teaser
Best Character-Robert, the scene where he takes out the robber is awesome.
Worst Character-Ray, while I’m glad he respected Robert by the end he should have always respected the job he did
Final Thoughts-There’s one thing that ruins the episode for me, and that’s the final scene where we see Robert and Ray did come down with the flu after not listening to Marie. Please. The rest of the episode is solid and has one of the best Marie moments. When Ray is trying to point out how dangerous Roberts job is she snaps that she knows what he does and doesn’t like to think of it. Nice as we see how Marie feels about Roberts job which will be expanded on later. I also love it when Ray tells Debra about the robbery her reaction is perfect. The stuff about Ray getting the glory in the paper feels like filler, because they needed to pad the episode out.
Grade-B-
Season 2, Episode 18
The Family Bed
Plot Summary-ray and Debra struggle when ally has trouble sleeping in her own bed
Nitpick of the episode-This is a strange question but why wasn’t there more yelling at ally? Don’t get me wrong I’m not for verbal abuse but there are times when you have to raise your voice a little and be stern. Debra gives in way to easily. No wonder Ally walks all over ray and Debra!
Best Line-“you kicked me, right in the garden of good and evil”…Ray
Episode Fun Fact –Frank mentions the lodge but it still hasn’t been seen yet
Deleted Scenes-none for this episode
Syndication Edit-top of the first act
Best Character-Frank, I think he had the right idea about tough love sometimes you gotta be the bad guy
Worst Character-Debra, she gives Ray so much grief through the series for not enjoying his kids and here she is rolling her eyes when all the kids are in the bed.
Final Thoughts-This is a pretty common problem for most families I think so points there. But Ray bringing his mother in was a real dumb idea. Yeah I know, it’s ray. Debra is way to passive about it to be honest. I love the arguing the two gave in the kitchen when both are tired, they really feel natural in that scene. It could be my parents! But Ray bringing his mother was one bad idea that was doomed to fail. It was so obvious that we don’t even see Debra yell at Ray about it, it’s like the creators knew that there was no need!
Grade-B
Season 2, Episode 19
Good Girls
Plot Summary-Ray is upset to learn that Marie prefers Amy to Debra
Nitpick k of the episode-OK the obvious, there’s no way Frank and Marie could have kept Robert’s birth date a secret like that
Best Line-“I just wanted sex. It was a long time ago”….Frank
Episode Fun Fact –
Deleted Scenes-Robert compliments Amy’s water
Syndication Edit-teaser where see romantic Robert and Amy compared with Ray and Debra
Best Character-Amy, as Debra points out its funny to see her reaction the Barone’s as the (then) outsider
Worst Character-Ray, it’s always been clear Marie had issues with Debra but it doesn’t bother him until it becomes a contest with Robert? No wonder Debra gets offended
Final Thoughts-This is one of those classic episodes because not only is it the whole family in one scene, but we also get a peek at Marie and Franks’s past which is a nice treat. And they were horny teenagers once too after all. This episode reminds me of back to the future, only Ray and Robert didn’t have to travel back in time to find out their parents aren’t so perfect. That whole scene is great. I’ll take about this again in the Halloween episode next week but very often on this show we get a euphemism for the real word for comic effect. In this case “good girls” for “virgin”. That whole scene is a classic.
Grade-A, another quintessential episode
Season 2, Episode 20
T-Ball
Plot Summary-Ray and Debra have a conflict at T-Ball over the approved snack she was supposed to bring
Nitpick of the episode-This is one of the episode I wanted to do this series for. For once, I am on Debra’s side. Ray should have stood up for his wife and told Bryan to suck it up and deal with it. But of course he can never do that. It’s one time where if it was me, I would have done that.
Best Line-“Will you shut up about the snack? All right. Just shut up about the stupid, freaking snack! Here! You want the snack. Here.Take it.Take all of it. Here.Are these healthy enough for you? Plantains! You couldn’t just put bananas on the list, huh? I ate two of these before I found out you got to cook them!”
Episode Fun Fact –Bryan is played by Dan Castellaneta
Deleted Scenes-none for this episode (I promise, we’ll get some)
Syndication Edit-teaser was cut apart
Best Character- Marie, she’s barely in the episode yet her appearance in the tag where she has prepared an amazing snack is hilarious.
Worst Character-Ray, not for losing his temper but for not taking his wife’s side
Final Thoughts-I like this episode, it is nice to see Ray finally lose his temper about something as we’ll see other times it takes a lot! This episode is also one of the first to touch on the fact that Ray always has to be liked. He’s kind of like George Costanza that way. This will come up again of course. And Frank has some of his best lines of the series in this episode. It’s great to see Peter Boyle in these early days when he was healthier. He could get a laugh by doing almost nothing,
Grade-B
One more article for season 2 coming soon
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